A Moroccan whistleblower, described as a former insider of Morocco’s domestic intelligence service, provides new information about how Morocco uses Pegasus spyware and the scope of its targeting. The reports say the Israeli-made Pegasus system—manufactured by the Israel-based NSO Group—can compromise smartphones to access data such as emails, text messages, photographs, and other information on a device. Sources also state it can activate a phone’s microphone and camera, effectively turning the handset into a listening or recording device.
According to the accounts, the spyware has been used to target journalists and human rights defenders, as well as foreign officials. The Guardian reports allegations of targeting that include journalists, French politicians, and Spanish cabinet members and police officers. The Canary adds that the whistleblower describes Pegasus use against journalists, activists, and foreign officials from Spain and France.
The combined reporting presents the whistleblower as offering an “unprecedented” view of the alleged deployment of Pegasus over a period that includes 2017, highlighting both domestic and foreign reach. The coverage reflects claims made by the whistleblower and does not indicate independent confirmation of every allegation.
